The Japanese word for “boy” is 男子(danshi). There are several other words for boy that depend on the person’s age and life phase in question. In this article, we’ll cover the different ways to say boy in Japanese and when and how to use them.
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1. 男の子 (Otoko No Ko) – A Little Boy
The phrase 男の子(otoko no ko) means boy in Japanese but mainly refers to little children, babies, or male pets. It would be considered condescending if you referred to an adult man or even a young adult as an otoko no ko. Japanese society generally considers any young man younger than twenty to be an otoko no ko, but teenage boys might not be happy to hear the phrase applied to them.
Examples
1. おめでとうございます！男の子です！
(Omedetō gozaimasu! Otoko no ko desu!)
Congratulations! It’s a boy!
2. この男の子は、東小学校の生徒です。
(Kono otoko no ko wa, Higashi Shōgakkō no seito desu.)
This boy goes to Higashi Elementary School.
2. 少年 (Shōnen) – Young Boy, Juvenile Boy
少年 (shōnen) means young boy in Japanese. Boys in their preteens and early teens are usually called shōnen . You might also know the word shōnen from manga magazines like 少年ジャンプ (Shōnen Jump). In this scenario, shōnen refers to a genre aimed at young boys.
Example
私は少年の頃、よく学校から自転車で帰りました。
(Watashi wa shōnen no koro, yoku gakkō kara jitensha de kaerimashita.)
In my youth, I often rode home from school on my bike.
3. 男子 (Danshi) – Boy, A Male Youth
In Japanese, 男子(danshi) can refer to a boy between his teen years and his early twenties. While junior high and high school boys can technically be called otoko no ko, they would probably prefer to be called danshi.
Examples
1. 彼は男子校に行っています。
(Kare wa danshi ō ni itteimasu.)
He goes to an all-boys school.
2. うちの中学校のソフトボールチームには、男子３人と女子４人がいます。
(Uchi no chūgakkō no sofutobōru chīmu ni wa, danshi san nin to joshi yo nin ga imasu.)
There are three boys and four girls on our junior high softball team.
4. 坊や (Bōya) – Kid, Boy
Although not as commonly used in modern Japanese, 坊や(bōya) can also be an affectionate or friendly word for boy in Japanese. Originally, in the Edo era, this term was used for young boys and girls. These days, it’s used for men (mostly little boys). It is sometimes used for older men who are seen as immature or unsophisticated.
Example
坊や、何を食べているの？
(Bōya, nani o tabeteiru no?)
What are you eating, kiddo?
Conclusion
There are many ways to say boy in Japanese, and each depends on how old the boy in question is. If you’re uncertain about which of these to use, both 男子(danshi) and 少年(shounen) are safe choices.
How do you say boy in your language? Let us know in the comments!
Erin Himeno
Erin hails from the east coast of the United States. She initially came to Japan to share her love of English and country cookin’, but ended up getting married and adopting two chubby cats. Erin doesn’t mind; she enjoys her life in Japan and writes about culture shock, culture share, and the exciting chapters in between.
How do you say boy Japanese?
The word for boy is otoko no ko. The word for girl is onna no ko. Ko is the word for child or infant and its’ kanji looks like this – 子. In kanji the word for boy is 男 の 子 – otoko no ko.
What does Boya mean in Japanese?
The Japanese boya (坊や) means boy in English.
What is kazoku?
Kazoku, in Japan, the unified, crown-appointed aristocracy of the period 1869–1947, which replaced the feudal lords. The kazoku (“flower family”) class was created in 1869 as part of the Westernizing reforms of the Meiji Restoration. The kazoku was abolished by the constitution of 1947.
How do you say I am a male in Japanese?
‘Boku’ is acceptable if you want to use a ‘male‘ personal pronoun. It has a certain youthful, earnest charm about it that no-one would object to, but if you’re over a certain age someone will probably tell you, drunkenly, that you should switch to ‘ore’. Don’t listen to them. Instead, just use ‘watashi’.
What does Watashi wa means?
“Watashi wa” (私は) in Japanese means “I”.
Is Watashi wa feminine?
In formal or polite contexts, “watashi” is gender neutral. However, when it’s used in informal or casual contexts, it is usually perceived as feminine. “Boku” is used by men and young boys. “Ore” is also used by men a lot.
Is Anata rude?
If you use “anata” with someone who you know, it is rude. So it’s better to use name plus san. You might already have known that Japanese people often leave out ‘watashi’, because you say, for example, “Hiroko desu.” to mean ‘I’m Hiroko.” We leave out “watashi” when it’s obvious.
Why do girls say Watashi?
Watashi: It’s a polite and formal form of referring to yourself. When you talk to your boss or someone older than you, use this. As others stated, the difference is about formality and the speaker’s gender.
Is atashi rude?
Atashi sounds childish or rude. You should use watashi. Bothe are women’s first person. Atashi sounds childish or rude.
Is Wareware rude?
Temee 手前 : A bit rude and aggressive. Kisama 貴様 : Usually rude and including bad feelings. Jibun 自分 : Neutral. Refers to the “self”, so can be use for “I” or “you”.
Do girls say Boku wa?
A polite and the most general expression that is used by both women and men everywhere from formal occasions to business and public situations. Boku is an expression used only by men.
Is Ore wa rude?
Ore: Is not considered rude. It is considered very casual, but not rude. That said, if one were to use a very casual word in a situation that dictated a formal one should be used, the speaker could come across as rude, but not because the word itself is rude, but the lack of decorum is.
What is the difference between Watashi and Watashi wa?
The Japanese term “watashi” translates to “I” in the English language, which is referring to one’s self. On the other hand, the Japanese term “wa” represents the topic of the sentence being stated. Therefore, saying “watashi wa” means that the sentence would be about one’s self.
Is Chan used for males?
Honorifics are gender neutral, but some are used more for one gender than the other. Kun, for example, is used more for males while chan is for females. Honorifics are generally required when referring to someone, but sometimes they must be dropped altogether.
Is Boku polite?
Boku: Polite, Sophisticate, Humble You can use it among your friends but they may feel you are too polite. It is appropriate word to a person who you meet at the first time.
What is Boku no mean?
Boku means “me” or “I.” No is a particle indicating possession or relative connection. Therefore, boku–no simply means “my.”
How do you say 1 2 3 in Japanese?
Use flashcards or a similar system to memorize these characters and their pronunciations.
- One (1) is 一 (ichi, pronounced “ee-chee”).
- Two (2) is 二 (ni, pronounced “nee”).
- Three (3) is 三 (san, pronounced “sahn”).
- Four (4) is 四 (shi, pronounced “shee”).
- Five (5) is 五 (go, pronounced “goh”).
What is Hou in Japanese?
(The “hou” in no hou ga means “direction”.) It can be used alone or in combination with yori. このかばんは そのかばんより やすいです。
These examples may contain rude words based on your search.
These examples may contain colloquial words based on your search.
Suggestions
Boy, your skin is so soft.
少年は、あなたの肌はとても柔らかいです。
Boy said, according to a bath of Victoria.
少年は、ビクトリアのバスによると、述べた。
Boy did these door hangers produce strong results.
男の子はこれらのドア・ハンガーの農産物の強い結果をした。
Boy: What’s making this light up.
【男の子】このライトどうやってつくの？
I have serialized basketball manga on «Monthly Boy Comic» magazine.
月刊少年コミック誌にてバスケ漫画を連載。
Boy‘ll find his way back to us.
少年は俺達の所に 戻る手段を見つける
Aslan’s influence throughout The Horse and his Boy is at first hidden from the characters.
『馬と少年』全編にわたるアスランの影響は最初は登場人物達から隠されている。
Interviewer: Not up and down? Boy: No.
取材者： 上下には？ 少年： 動いてなかったよ
Boy: The World Peace Game is serious.
少年：世界平和ゲームは本格的です
<World Stars of Ballet and a Japanese Boy
＜世界のバレエ・スターたちと日本人少年＞
Are you saying Travis is «The Boy Dahlia?»
トラヴィスが »ダリアの少年？» だと
Boy, the holidays are rough.
毎年感謝祭の前から 新年が終わるまでは、逃げ出そうとするんだ。
The rest of the family called him «Boy«.
Boy, those crocs can jump.
少年よ、ワニは、跳ぶことができる。
Scouting and Boy Scouts are well known throughout American culture.
スカウティングとボーイスカウトはアメリカ文化のいたるところでよく知られている。
Killing Boy is a rock band of Japan.
killing Boy（キリング・ボーイ）は、日本のロックバンド。
The Game Boy Color has an infrared wireless link-up port.
ゲームボーイカラーにはワイヤレスの赤外線リンクアップポートがついている。
Boy, you are in a hurry!
僕が見てるものを 見たら 君も急ぐさ
Boy, do you need a girl.
もし気があるなら━ プリンストンでホットな アジアンパーティーやってるぜ
Boy, that was a rodeo.
お若いの、まるでロデオの様だったよ。
Suggestions that contain Boy
Results: 10530. Exact: 10530. Elapsed time: 118 ms.
What’s the Japanese word for boy?, The word for boy is otoko no ko. The word for girl is onna no ko. Ko is the word for child or infant and its’ kanji looks like this – 子. In kanji the word for boy is 男 の 子 – otoko no ko.
Furthermore, What is a danshi in Japanese?, She’s adventurous, spirited and athletic. The danshi is pretty much the same — this is the boy who’s honorable, strives to be the captain of the yakyūbu (野球部, school baseball team), who thinks there’s something dasai (ださい, tacky) and disgraceful about hanging out with girls.
Finally, What do you call a girl in Japanese?, Girl in Japanese is “onna no ko” which doesn’t sound like a good dog name to me.
Frequently Asked Question:
What does Gaiko mean in Japanese?
Geisha (or geiko) are professional entertainers who attend guests during meals, banquets and other occasions. They are trained in various traditional Japanese arts, such as dance and music, as well as in the art of communication.
What is Otoko?
Otokonoko (男の娘, “male daughter” or “male girl”, also pronounced as otoko no musume) is a Japanese term for men who have a culturally feminine gender expression. … It is often combined with the cosplay of female fictional characters by men (crossplay).
What is danshi?
The danshi is pretty much the same — this is the boy who’s honorable, strives to be the captain of the yakyūbu (野球部, school baseball team), who thinks there’s something dasai (ださい, tacky) and disgraceful about hanging out with girls.
What does Boya mean in Japanese?
The Japanese boya (坊や) means boy in English.
How do you address a boy in Japanese?
Less polite than “~ san”, “~ kun （～君）” is used to address men who are younger or the same age as the speaker. A male might address female inferiors by “~ kun,” usually in schools or companies. It can be attached to both surnames and given names.
What does fugou mean in Japanese?
nickname, number, item, title, pseudonym, name, call.
What does nichijou mean in English?
Nichijou (Japanese: 日常, Hepburn: Nichijō, “Everyday”) is a Japanese comedy manga series written and illustrated by Keiichi Arawi.
How do you beg in Japan?
Please(to beg) = お願いします。
What does Kita ku mean in Japanese?
1. “Kitaku(帰宅)” literally means “to go home”. It may make viewers imagine that workers go home or that come to our office as your home.
What does Umaru mean in Japanese?
“土間”(doma) is the dirt floor which is an entryway area of a popular Japanese house, while 埋まる(umaru) means ‘buried’ in English. Thus her name means ‘buried in a dirt floor’
What is Teru in Japanese?
Teru is a Japanese verb which describes sunshine, and a bōzu is a Buddhist monk (compare the word bonze), or in modern slang, “bald-headed”; bōzu is also used as a term of endearment for addressing little boys.
How do you refer to girls in Japanese?
Josei (女性) Comprised of two kanji characters, “woman” and “sex,” this is the most general term used to refer to women and is the equivalent to “female” in English. It’s also the safest and most politically correct of them all.
What kanojo means?
It’s the same in Japanese. If you’re already talking about a woman, it’s likely that ‘kanojo’ means ‘she’. If, however, ‘kanojo’ comes out of nowhere, it probably means ‘girlfriend’.
Why is crossdressing popular in Japan?
She says that women are attracted to them because they have ‘the cuteness and beauty of a woman’, but the contrast with their still very much intact ‘maleness’ is exciting. It’s also fun for girls to dress them up like a doll, putting makeup on them and choosing clothes for them.
Why is crossdressing common in anime?
Only Otakus or performers dress in female clothing but in other spaces is not accepted. That’s why in every manga or anime, female characters tend to be secondary characters and after they marry the protagonist, they are deemed responsible for the housework.
What does okama mean in Japanese?
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Okama may refer to: The honorific Japanese term for a cauldron (generically) Homosexuality in Japan, a Japanese slang term for homosexuality.
Is Onna rude?
Onna (女) … Used in verbal conversation; however, the word can have an insulting connotation, commonly used to look down on someone or imply either stupidity, sexuality, or bad temper, as in baka onna (stupid woman), hidoi onna (cruel woman), or ii onna (chick), commonly used with a sexual connotation.
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Otoko no ko or danshi? Depending on age and stage of life, there are a few ways to say ‘boy’ in Japanese. Words for describing people in Japanese have different uses and nuances.
Here we will go over the different words for ‘boy’ in Japanese and how to use them in the right context.
- Danshi
- Otoko no ko
- Shounen
- Bouya / Botchan
Danshi
男子
Boy, young man
Danshi is a standard way to say ‘boy’ in Japanese. Danshi can also be a word for males in general though, and is often used on toilet signs to show the male toilets (danshi toire / 男子トイレ or just danshi / 男子).
Danshi is a combination of two kanji, dan / 男, meaning ‘male’ and ko / 子 meaning ‘child’. As a compound word, the kanji for male 男, uses its onyomi reading dan instead of its kunyomi (featured in the next word) which is otoko.
(Not sure on the difference between onyomi and kunyomi? See this post!)
You can use danshi to refer to a ‘boy’ or ‘boys’ in Japanese. Depending on the situation however, it could also mean ‘young man/men’.
When used in conversation, danshi gives the impression of a boy who is at least old enough to go to school independently but not yet an adult.
Danshi is a versatile word which is often used to modify another noun to indicate boys only, so it’s a good word to know.
For example:
- 男子校 / danshikou: All-boys school
- 男子サッカー部 / danshi sakkaa bu: All-boys soccer team
Otoko no ko
男の子
Boy
Otoko no ko / 男の子 uses the same kanji as danshi / 男子 with the addition of the no/の particle in between. It has a child-like nuance but can be used for any young male, generally under 20 years old.
Otoko no ko is often used more for boys who are of preschool or early childhood age.
When describing a baby boy, otoko no ko is the appropriate word to use.
You can use otoko no ko in most situations to say ‘boy’ in Japanese, including for a male pet.
Shounen
少年
Young boy / Juvenile
The word shounen / 少年 in Japanese is mostly used as a plural noun to describe pre-teen to teenage boys between the ages of 5-14. It’s more of a written word than a spoken word and in Japanese law, refers to boys from the beginning of elementary school to the age of 18.
Shounen tends to refer to boys as a group rather than individually and like the word danshi, is used to modify other nouns. For example the word shounen manga / 少年漫画 is a genre of manga targeted at a teenage boy audience (the male counterpart to shoujo manga / 少女漫画).
Shounen contains two kanji which mean ‘few’ (shou / 少) and ‘years’ (nen / 年) creating a word which literally translates to ‘few years’. This gives shounen the same meaning as ‘juvenile’. In fact, shounen is a Japanese legal term to refer to ‘juvenile delinquency’ among young males (hikou shounen / 非行少年).
Bouya / Botchan
坊や / 坊ちゃん
Kid, son, little boy, young master
Bouya / 坊や and botchan / 坊ちゃん are old-fashioned expressions which mean ‘little boy’, ‘kid’ or ‘son’. Due to their historical use between master and servant, they traditionally referred to a ‘young master’ or a boy raised in an affluent family.
The kanji used in these words, 坊, has buddhist origins and was used to refer to a monk as well as a familiar way of addressing a young boy.
Botchan uses the same kanji as bouya with the addition of the honorific chan, which is used to show affection, normally towards someone or something younger or smaller than the speaker.
Bouya and botchan can be used (mostly by the older generation) to mock a young man who knows little about the world.
When used in this way, they are informal words which can be condescending, in a joking or serious way. For example someone might poke fun at a young, naive boy by calling him bouya / 坊や.
Fun fact: Botchan / 坊ちゃん is the title of one of Japan’s most famous novels written by renowned author Natsume Soseki. The first person narrator in the book calls himself Botchan, and is a young boy who tends to get himself into trouble, but ends up trying his best to do the right thing.
Related post:
- How to Say Girl in Japanese
- How to Say Man in Japanese
- How to Say Woman in Japanese
Francesca Rex-Horoi
Francesca is a freelance copywriter and teacher, who moved to Tokyo from New Zealand at age 24. A linguistics and ESL major, she spent 3 years teaching at an all-boys high school. Now based in France, she remains a self-confessed Japanophile who loves kanji, cooking, cats and the outdoors.